Hiroki Ito of Stuttgart during the German Bundesliga football match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart in Sinsheim, Germany, Tuesday, January 24, 2023.
9:49 JST, June 14, 2024
MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich have signed Japanese defender Hiroki Ito from German rival Stuttgart in a move aimed at bringing in “new energy” that could herald a broader overhaul of Bayern’s squad.
Ito will sign a four-year contract, Bayern said on Thursday. He is the first new signing for Bayern since Vincent Kompany was appointed coach in place of Thomas Tuchel last month.
“We want hungry players who bring new energy and Hiroki has everything we want: he is a player who takes on challenges, overcomes them and keeps moving forward,” Bayern sports board member Max Eberl said in a statement.
The transfer fee was not made public, but German magazine Kicker reported that Bayern had met a release clause of an initial 23 million euros plus any additional costs.
Ito, 25, has been with Stuttgart since 2021 and was key to his surprise run to second place in the Bundesliga this season. Stuttgart finished one place ahead of Bayern, who ended the season without a trophy for the first time since the 2011/2012 season.
Ito adds depth to a Bayern defense that was often depleted by injuries last season and often relied on Eric Dier, who has since left when his loan spell at Tottenham ended. Ito usually plays in the center of defense, but can also fill defensive midfield and left back roles.
Bayern also signed 18-year-old Australian winger Nestory Irankunda in a deal that was agreed in November but will not take effect until next month. The transfer of Spanish winger Bryan Zaragoza from Granada has become permanent after an initial rental period at Bayern.
